Developing cartridge, developing apparatus and image forming apparatus having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10558144-B2
Application number	US-201816165328-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2018
Priority date	Dec 28, 2016
Publication date	Feb 11, 2020
Grant date	Feb 11, 2020

Abstract

A developing cartridge includes a developing portion to supply toner, a toner storing portion to store the toner, a partition wall formed between the developing portion and the toner storing portion and having a toner supply section, and a storing-portion agitating member rotatably disposed in the toner storing portion to intermittently rotate to move the toner in the toner storing portion while the developing portion supplies the toner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A developing cartridge comprising:
a toner storing portion to store toner;
a developing portion disposed below the toner storing portion;
a partition wall formed between the developing portion and the toner storing portion, the partition wall having a toner supply opening through which the toner in the toner storing portion is to be supplied to the developing portion;
a storing-portion agitating member rotatably disposed in the toner storing portion to rotate to move the toner in the toner storing portion toward the toner supply opening;
a developing-portion agitating member rotatably disposed in the developing portion to rotate while the storing-portion agitating member rotates; and
a supply roller located below the developing-portion agitating member,
wherein the developing-portion agitating member is to rotate to move the toner in the developing portion toward the supply roller.

2. The developing cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the storing-portion agitating member includes an elastic member to intermittently contact the partition wall.

3. The developing cartridge of claim 2 , wherein
the elastic member is to intermittently contact the partition wall to move the toner toward the toner supply opening by an elastic restoring force generated when the elastic member is separated from the partition wall.

4. The developing cartridge of claim 1 , wherein
the storing-portion agitating member is to intermittently rotate to move the toner to the developing portion.

5. The developing cartridge of claim 1 , wherein
the developing-portion agitating member is disposed below the partition wall, and a rotation center of the developing-portion agitating member is spaced apart from vertical extension lines vertically extended from opposite ends of the toner supply opening.

6. The developing cartridge of claim 1 , wherein,
the developing-portion agitating member includes at least one elastic member and a rotation member,
the at least one elastic member is attached to the rotation member, and
wherein the at least one elastic member is to contact the partition wall when the developing-portion agitating member rotates.

7. The developing cartridge of claim 6 , wherein
the at least one elastic member includes a plurality of elastic members disposed on the rotation member.

8. The developing cartridge of claim 7 , wherein
the plurality of elastic members include a first elastic member and a second elastic member, and
the first elastic member and the second elastic member are to move toner in mutually opposite directions.

9. The developing cartridge of claim 8 , wherein
each elastic member of the plurality of elastic members includes a plurality of protrusions formed at intervals on one side of the developing-portion agitating member that is to move toward the partition wall, and
wherein each protrusion of the plurality of protrusions is formed in a trapezoidal shape, in which a length of a first side of each protrusion connected to the first elastic member or the second elastic member is shorter than a length of a second side of each protrusion that is to be in contact with the partition wall.

10. The developing cartridge of claim 9 , wherein
each of the plurality of protrusions includes a first side wall perpendicular to the first side and a second side wall inclined with respect to the first side, and
wherein a direction of the second side wall of each of the plurality of protrusions of the first elastic member is opposite to a direction of the second side wall of each of the plurality of protrusions of the second elastic member.

11. The developing cartridge of claim 1 , further comprising:
a developing roller rotatably disposed in the developing portion,
wherein the supply roller is disposed at one side of the developing roller, and the supply roller is to supply toner supplied from the toner storing portion to the developing roller,
wherein a rotation center of the developing-portion agitating member is positioned between a rotation center of the developing roller and a rotation center of the supply roller.

12. The developing cartridge of claim 11 , further comprising:
a cartridge driver in one side surface of the developing cartridge and to receive power from an outside of the cartridge driver;
a first supply roller driver at a first end of the supply roller and to be rotated by a driving force transmitted from the cartridge driver;
a second supply roller driver at a second end opposite to the first end of the supply roller;
a first agitating member driver at one end of the developing-portion agitating member and to receive the driving force from the second supply roller driver; and
a second agitating member driver at one end of the storing-portion agitating member and to receive the driving force from the first agitating member driver,
wherein the second supply roller driver, the first agitating member driver, and the storing-portion agitating member driver are positioned on an opposite side surface opposite to a side surface of the developing cartridge with respect to a longitudinal direction of the developing cartridge.

13. The developing cartridge of claim 12 , wherein
the second agitating member driver includes a Geneva gear.

14. The developing cartridge of claim 12 , comprising
a plurality of electrical contacts on the opposite side surface of the developing cartridge, to receive an electrical voltage applied to the developing roller and the supply roller.

15. The developing cartridge of claim 1 , further comprising:
a developing-portion agitating member rotatably disposed in the developing portion to continuously rotate while the storing-portion agitating member intermittently rotates, the developing-portion agitating member including at least one elastic member to continuously contact the partition wall when the developing-portion agitating member continuously rotates; and
a blade supporting wall extending downward from a surface of the partition wall,
wherein, when the developing-portion agitating member rotates, the at least one elastic member is to contact the blade supporting wall and the surface of the partition wall.

16. A developing apparatus comprising:
an image carrier cartridge including an image carrier; and
a developing cartridge to supply toner to the image carrier,
wherein the developing cartridge comprises:
a toner storing portion to store the toner;
a developing portion disposed below the toner storing portion;
a partition wall formed between the developing portion and the toner storing portion, the partition wall having a toner supply opening through which the toner in the toner storing portion is to be supplied to the developing portion;
a storing-portion agitating member rotatably disposed in the toner storing portion to rotate to move the toner in the toner storing portion toward the toner supply opening;
a developing-portion agitating member rotatably disposed in the developing portion to rotate while the storing-portion agitating member rotates; and
a supply roller located below the developing-portion agitating member,
wherein the developing-portion agitating member is to rotate to move the toner in the developing portion toward the supply roller.

17. The developing apparatus of claim 16 , wherein
the storing-portion agitating member includes an elastic member to intermittently contact the partition wall, while the developing portion supplies the toner.

18. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a print medium feeding apparatus to feed a print medi

Assignees

• S Printing Solution Co Ltd
• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Jang Ho-Jin
• Kim Jong-In
• Yang Seong-Woong
• Choi Woong-Yong
• Hong Jin-Hwa

Classifications

• G03G15/0868 Primary

  Toner cartridges fulfilling a continuous function within the electrographic apparatus during the use of the supplied developer material, e.g. toner discharge on demand, storing residual toner, acting as an active closure for the developer replenishing opening · CPC title

• G03G15/087 Primary

  Developer cartridges having a longitudinal rotational axis, around which at least one part is rotated when mounting or using the cartridge · CPC title

• G03G21/1647

  Mechanical connection means · CPC title

• G03G15/0889 Primary

  for agitation or stirring · CPC title

• G03G15/0882

  by a peelable sealing film (resealing used developer units before refilling: G03G15/0894) · CPC title